This chapter discusses the fundamentals of plastic deformation and the role of strain and strain rate in sheet metal forming processes. It describes the conditions associated with uniform deformation, the significance of engineering and true strain, the effect of volume constancy on the tensile response of isotropic and anisotropic materials, and how infinitesimal strains or strain rates are used to express and analyze instantaneous deformation and local stain. It also discusses the concept of principal strain and strain paths and explains how to determine, and when to use, equivalent strain and strain rate.

This chapter discusses the role of plastic deformation in forging and the effect of strain and strain rate on metal flow. It demonstrates the use of stress tensors and shows how metal flow can be represented qualitatively by the displacement of volume elements and quantitatively by the distribution of velocity components and strain rates. It describes the conditions associated with homogeneous deformation in a frictionless upset forging and explains how they can also be obtained using engineering and true stress-strain curves.

High strain rate tensile testing is used to understand the response of materials to dynamic loading. The behavior of materials under high strain rate tensile loads may differ considerably from that observed in conventional tensile tests. This chapter discusses the processes involved in determining strain rate effects in tension by conventional tensile tests and covers expanding ring tests, flat plate impact tests, split-Hopkinson pressure bar tests, and rotating wheel tests.